 Facilities:
Accessibility:
Both visitor centers and the lodge are fully accessible to those with special needs. Several campsites in the South Campground are reserved for people with disabilities and three trails are wheelchair accessible.
Backpacking:
All overnight trips, hikes through the entire length of the Zion Narrows, any trip into the Subway (Left Fork of North Creek), and all excursions into canyons requiring the use of ropes or descending gear require a backcountry permit. For most trips, hikers can make calendar reservations for a permit and pick it up at the Zion Canyon or Kolob Canyons visitor centers the day before or the day of their trip. Approximately 40 to 60 percent of the permits are set aside for walk-ins. Due to their popularity, hikers wishing to hike the Subway or Mystery Canyon must participate in a lottery to make a permit reservation. Hikers entering the lottery must pay a non-refundable fee of $5.
The person obtaining a backcountry permit for his or her group must be 18 years of age or older and is responsible for the actions of the group while on the hike. On-staff rangers will deny permits for the following reasons: flash flood warnings, high water, and wildfires.
Group size determines permit fees:
1-2 people: $10
3-7 people: $15
8-12 people: $20
Bicycling:
Bicycles are permitted only on established roads and the Pa'rus Trail. Cyclists are required obey traffic laws. Bicycles are not allowed on hiking trails or off-trail. Bicyclists in the canyon should use caution, automobile traffic is often heavy and drivers may be distracted by the scenery. Riding through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel is prohibited. Bicycles must be transported through by motor vehicle.
Camping:
South Campground
http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
Location: Zion National Park’s south entrance
Description: This first-come, first-served campground offers 127 campsites, all of which have no RV hookups. The campground is closer to the river and offers more shade than the adjacent Watchman Campground. Its amenities include restrooms, running water, picnic tables, utility sinks and a dump station.
Fee: $16 per night
Season: March – October
Watchman Campground
http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
Location: Zion National Park’s south entrance
Description: Unlike the adjacent South Campground, the Watchman Campground takes reservations for campers arriving between April and October. It offers 66 tent sites, 63 RV sites with electrical hookups, 16 riverside sites and seven group sites. The campground includes restrooms, drinking water, picnic tables, RV dump stations and fire grates.
Fees: Tent sites: $16 per night; RV electric sites: $18 per night; riverside sites: $20 per night; group sites: $3 per person per night
Season: Year round
Lava Point Campground
http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
Location: Off of the Kolob Terrace Road south of Kolob Reservoir
Description: This primitive campground available on a first-come, first-served basis offers six campsites and limit facilities. It does not offer running water.
Fees: None
Season: June – October
Canyoneering:
Zion National Park is full of scenic narrow canyons only accessible to adventure seekers with the right equipment and expertise. This type of amphibious, technical hiking is called canyoneering. The park features many technical routes that will challenge even the most experienced canyoneer. Most of Zion’s popular canyoneering routes, including Mystery Canyon, Behunin Canyon, and Spry Canyon, require rappelling gear and wetsuits to descend steep inclines and swim in frigid water. Adventurers will also have to climb up and down boulders and scale slick rocks on their journey through Zion’s rewarding backcountry. There are many bolts used for rappelling in the canyon walls throughout many of Zion’s canyoneering routes. The park service encourages canyoneers not to add more and to leave as little trace as possible when traversing the park’s scenic backcountry.
All overnight trips and adventures necessitating the use of ropes require a backcountry permit, obtainable at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center or Kolob Canyons Visitor Center. Rangers at the backcountry desk can supply you with valuable information and steer you toward the route most suitable for your skill level. Permits are limited. The Park Service usually only allows 50 people per day through each canyon. For all routes except for the Subway and Mystery Canyon, approximately half of the available permits can be reserved. The other half are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Hikers desiring a permit to enter the Subway and Mystery Canyon must enter a lottery. To increase your chances of obtaining a permit for your desired route, plan your trip on a non-weekend day. You could also book a guided canyoneering trip through one of the local outfitters.
Resources:
http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/utah/zion/
Climbing:
Climbing on area sandstone cliffs requires appropriate hardware and techniques. Information on climbing is available at visitor centers. Climbing and rappelling is prohibited on the cliffs above Middle and Lower Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock. Some routes may be closed to climbing when Peregrine Falcons are nesting. A permit is required for overnight climbs. Visit the Backcountry Permit Desk for additional climbing routes and information.
Fires:
Fires are permitted only in the fire pits provided at campgrounds and some picnic areas. You will need to bring or purchase your own firewood because collecting wood within the park is not permitted. Firewood is available for purchase outside the park. Be sure to keep fires small and under control. Before you to make sure fires are completely out and never leave a fire unattended. Fires are not permitted in the backcountry at any time.
Food & Supplies:
Within the park food and beverages may be purchased at Zion Lodge where there is a snack bar and dining room. Dinner reservations are advised from spring through fall, call (435) 772-3213 for reservations. Additional restaurants are available in Springdale, Mt. Carmel Junction, Kanab, Virgin, Hurricane, LaVerkin, and St. George. GROCERIES: Full service grocery stores and/or convenience stores are available in Springdale, Hurricane, LaVerkin, Mt. Carmel Junction and Kanab.
First Aid / Hospital:
For 24-hour emergency response, call (435)772-3322 or 911. First aid is available in the park. A physician's assistant is available in Springdale at the Zion Canyon Medical Clinic in the summer and part-time in the winter, and there is a full time physician located in Hurricane, 24 miles (38 7 km). Hospitals are located in St. George, 45 miles (72.5 km); Cedar City, 60 miles (96.7 km); and Kanab 42 miles (67.7 km).
Hiking:
When hiking in Zion National Park, remember that it is a desert environment and can experience sudden weather changes and extreme summertime heat. The following are tips that will help you enjoy your desert hiking experience in Zion:
- Check the forecast before hiking to ensure conditions will be favorable for your trip
- Carry plenty of water. The recommended amount of water for desert hiking is one gallon per person per day
- Lather on sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat to avoid sunburn
- Pack snacks to provide you energy along the trail
- Pack a first-aid kit to be prepared for any cuts, bruises or sprains
- Tell someone where you are going and when you will return, then stick to your itinerary
- Stay on the trail. Desert soils, such as cryptogamic soil, are fragile. If disturbed, these soils take a long time to recover. Cryptogamic soil is a mixture of moss, lichens and bacteria that form a crust that helps prevent erosion.
- Pick a route that best suits your abilities and do not push yourself too hard to avoid heat exhaustion and other serious conditions
- Take appropriate maps of the area and a compass if you are hiking in the backcountry for extra guidance if you need it
- Obtain the proper backcountry permit if you are hiking the Zion Narrows, the Subway, or in any canyon requiring the use of rope. You also need a permit for any overnight trips into the backcountry.
Resources:
http://www.desertusa.com/Thingstodo/du_ttd_hike2.html
http://www.nps.gov/archive/lame/hiking.html
http://www.nps.gov/archive/zion/Backcountry/ReservationsAndPermits.htm
Horseback Riding:
Guided trips are available March through October. Reservations are advised. Call (435)772-3810 or inquire in person at Zion Lodge. For private stock use, contact visitor centers.
Lodging:
Zion Lodge is operated by AmFac. Reservations for cabin and motel accommodations are available through AmFac, (303)297-2757. Other Lodging Available in Springdale, Mt. Carmel Junction, Kanab, and other nearby communities.
Pets:
At all times pets must be on a leash that is 6 feet long or shorter and under the physical control of a person. Pets may not travel on trails and in the backcountry, enter public building, nor ride on shuttles. However, people may walk pets on the Pa'rus Trail as long as they act courteously to pedestrians and cyclists. There are boarding kennels in nearby towns like Rockville, Kanab, St. George, and Cedar City.
Picnicking:
Picnic facilities are available at The Grotto (close to the Zion Nature Center), Lava Point, and the Kolob Canyons viewpoint. Tables are at all three of these locations, and The Grotto picnic site has drinking water and fire grates.
Shuttle Service:
From April to October, Zion National Park operates a mandatory shuttle system, which prohibits private vehicles along the 6.5-mile Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, the most visited area of the park. During this time of year, the park’s peak season, visitors must ride buses to access the canyon. Visitors board the Zion Canyon Shuttle outside the visitor center. It stops seven times on its way to the Temple of Sinawava, the last shuttle stop in the canyon. Stops along the way include Zion Lodge and major trailheads, including Weeping Rock and The Grotto Picnic Area. The buses are extremely convenient, running every 7-10 minutes. Each 31-passenger bus tows a 37-person capacity trailer. The buses are completely handicap accessible and can accommodate bicycles. The ride up the entire length of the canyon’s scenic drive takes approximately 45 minutes, allowing passengers to take in the canyon’s scenery and listen to informative narration about the park’s history, geology, flora and fauna provided by the bus drivers before debarking.
As part of the transportation system, a voluntary shuttle also runs in the town of Springdale, the park’s gateway community. Its terminus is the parking lot of the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theater, where visitors must debark and walk across a footbridge to the visitor center to access the Zion Canyon Shuttle. To avoid the congestion of the visitor center parking lot, which regularly fills by late morning on busy summer days, visitors can park in Springdale and ride the town shuttle to the visitor center.
Zion implemented the shuttle system as the result of a long planning effort whose genesis was in the mid 1970s, when park managers began to realize that traffic congestion in the canyon degraded both the park’s scenery and the visitor experience. The elimination of private automobile traffic has reduced air and noise pollution, has decreased degradation to vegetation, and has fostered a less-stressful, more enjoyable visitor experience. The Zion Shuttle and the cooperative spirit it created between the park and Springdale has become a model to follow for other parks seeking to solve their congestion problems with public transportation.
Swimming, Tubing, Wading, and Boating:
Be aware of swift currents, cold water, flash floods, slippery rocks, deep holes, and submerged logs and boulders. Wear shoes to protect your feet. Swimming and wading are not permitted in the Emerald Pools. Tubing is only permitted on the Virgin River from the River access in the Watchman Campground; Parking is available in the amphitheater parking area. Tubes and shuttle service are available outside the South Entrance. For addresses and phone numbers of services outside of the park, visit the Zion Canyon Chamber of Commerce website. |
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